Vantage Deluxe World Travel launches new river cruising vessel the ms River Splendor and secures Miss Belgium Noemie Happart as the godmother during March 14th grand inaugural event in Antwerp. (PRNewsFoto/Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Marnix De ... Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Vantage Deluxe World Travel launches new river cruising vessel the ms River Splendor and secures Miss Belgium Noemie Happart as the godmother during March 14th grand inaugural event in Antwerp. (PRNewsFoto/Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Marnix De Paepe)

BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Deluxe World Travel (www.vantagetravel.com) will officially launch the new river cruising vessel, ms River Splendor on March 14th at a grand inaugural event in Antwerp. Miss Belgium Noemie Happart will serve as the godmother of the ms River Splendor in a traditional naming ceremony in which the godmother breaks a "christening fluid" or bottle of champagne over the vessel, officially declaring it named, blessed and ready to sail.

"Vantage has been building vessels in central Europe for 30 years and our friends in The Netherlands and Belgium have always been gracious and hospitable," says Vantage COO Kevin Wallace. "Our Waterways of Holland & Belgium trip continues to be one of the most popular in our portfolio and we could not be more excited to welcome Miss Belgium Noemie Happart as our godmother on March 14th to help us celebrate our fleet expansion."

Noemie Happart became Miss Belgium earlier this year. She is from Grace-Hollogne in the province of Liege. She will go on to represent Belgium at the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants later this year.

The celebratory christening along the port of Antwerp, in Belgium will include live music, toasts and speeches from Vantage management followed by a three-course dinner aboard the new ms River Splendor for over 200 guests. The following day, the ms River Splendor will depart on a four-day inaugural voyage along the Rhine River to Amsterdam.

The new vessel is part of a $120 million fleet investment program, which will double Vantage's river cruising fleet by 2014. The new ship offers intimate cruising for no more than 176 passengers, single staterooms and single seating dining options as well as bigger staterooms with French balconies and wi-fi throughout the ship. This launch follows the successful inaugural season of the ms River Discovery II, which launched in March 2012. In addition to enhanced amenities, passengers can choose from new itineraries along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers, a new Grand River voyage in France, and revamped itineraries in Portugal and Russia.

Designed with the American traveler in mind, the 442 ft. ms River Splendor will offer luxury amenities and the best crew-to-passenger ratios in the industry, says Wallace. "Our extensive selection of river cruise itineraries is really changing the way travelers experience all corners of Europe."

About Vantage Deluxe World Travel- Celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2013, Vantage Deluxe World Travel is a world-renowned tour operator known for delivering the best popular programs, and the company owns a fleet of luxurious river cruise ships that sail the Rhine, Danube, Main, Moselle, Saone and Rhone rivers in addition to exclusively chartering a number of others. Vantage's Memorable Journeys include upscale escorted tours to a variety of destinations in North and South America, Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, and the South Pacific. Vantage Travel programs offer the industry's most comprehensive sightseeing journeys making guests feel like locals instead of tourists and turning a vacation into the trip of a lifetime. Vantage provides quality travel experiences and services that exceed the expectations of customers. For more information on current travel programs, please visit http://www.vantagetravel.com.